Ever since reading Mary Ann Shaffer’s The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, I’ve wanted to visit Guernsey. It just fit perfectly to my mind’s eye depiction of idyllic for one thing. Furthermore, I became intrigued with Guernsey’s history. It was one of many history lessons that I did not learn in school. The islands were occupied by the Germans in World War II, from June 30, 1940 until May 9, 1945.

Located between England and France, Guernsey is part of The Channel Islands. And, although they are closer to France than to England, they are part of the British Crown. The islanders speak both English, something for me, and French, but the cuisine is mostly French, something for my husband. The island is said to have a southern France or Italian feel to it, something for both my husband and me.

The island’s main town is Saint Peter Port. The climate is mild, and there are varying picturesque landscape ranges to explore.

Anyone else want to go?

If you have already been to Guernsey, please tell me a little about your experiences including any “must sees”.

It’s astounding how a short message from grandparents, other relatives or friends can brighten a child’s day…or vice versa. “If u were here, we could do this” or “If you were here, we could do that”! Sent from your own home computer or from your iPhone, your iPad, or other smartphone, postcards geared especially to children and working together with a fun and fact-filled website are educational, too. A burst of information sent to children in the real mail, and suddenly education is FUN for the entire family!

So, whether you’re a sightseeing tourist traveling the world or someone content relaxing at home, Heckery Dekkery Dot Travel Game Postcards for Children makes it easy to realize the teacher in you as you encourage someone to learn more about the world around them. Upload your own photos, and create your own personalized photo postcards. Or, send one of the ready-made postcards below. Either way, these are real travel postcards sent in the real mail! Children will love getting them…especially from you!There are lots of virtual travelers out there just waiting for you to start the travel game without any delays!

Rufus….Heckery Dekkery Dog Traveling Reporter at Large“I will always dig for the truth and report it back to you”!

The Elephant

Elephants are vegetarians so they do eat their vegetables. Rufus is not exactly a vegetarian, but he sometimes eats plants and grass when he has a tummy ache. Elephants, however, eat only plants and grass whether their tummies hurt or not. Their long trunk can be used to pick up objects, to sound warnings and to greet other elephants! It can also be used as a hose for drinking water and bathing. Rufus thinks bath time would be a lot more fun if an elephant could rinse him afterwards! Can you imagine?

Elephants like to rest during the day when it’s hot and only lie down for a few hours at night. You may have noticed how big they are, too! African elephants grow up to 13 feet tall at their shoulder, and weighing up to eight tons, they are the largest land mammal in the world! Their Asian relatives grow up to 11 and a half feet tall at their shoulder. Even a newborn baby elephant is about 3 feet tall and weighs (Are you sitting down?) about 200 pounds! How much do you weigh?

“Wow, what BIG ears elephants have, and BIG teeth, too,” Rufus exclaimed! By the way, Rufus, those big teeth are called tusks. And, you are correct, elephants do have BIG ears!

Gary M. Stolz, U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceWikimedia Commons

John and Karen Hollingsworth, U:S: Fish and Wildlife ServiceWikimedia Commons

Next part of the series – The Rhinoceros

and Heckery Dekkery Dog wites a poem to Mr. Ogden Nash.

~~~

It’s astounding how a short message from grandparents, other relatives or friends can brighten a child’s day…or vice versa. “If u were here, we could do this” or “If you were here, we could do that”! Sent from your own home computer or from your iPhone, your iPad, or other smartphone, postcards geared especially to children and working together with a fun and fact-filled website are educational, too. A burst of information sent to children in the real mail, and suddenly education is FUN for the entire family!

So, whether you’re a sightseeing tourist traveling the world or someone content relaxing at home, Heckery Dekkery Dot Travel Game Postcards for Children makes it easy to realize the teacher in you as you encourage someone to learn more about the world around them. Upload your own photos, and create your own personalized photo postcards. Or, send one of the ready-made postcards below. Either way, these are real travel postcards sent in the real mail! Children will love getting them…especially from you!There are lots of virtual travelers out there just waiting for you to start the travel game without any delays!

Rufus….Heckery Dekkery Dog Traveling Reporter at Large“I will always dig for the truth and report it back to you”!

The Lion

The lion has always been a symbol of strength. Its powerful roar can be heard from five miles away! After the tiger, the lion is the second largest cat in the world! “Stay Back, Rufus, please stay back”!

Sumit.pamnaniWikimedia Commons

Lions can be found in Africa and the Sasan-Gir National Park in India, but at one time they could be found in Europe and Asia as well. Lions are carnivores which means they are meat eaters. Rufus says that just because they do not eat vegetables does not mean that you shouldn’t eat yours! Another piece of good advice coming from such a little dog!
The male lion, who weighs anywhere from 300 – 500 pounds, has a thick, bushy mane around his face, but he doesn’t shave. Lions can run at 50 miles per hour for short distances, and they can leap 36 feet! Lions would need a big hopscotch board if they could be pleasant enough to join in that game! Rufus likes hopscotch! The Havanese can really hop, and Rufus is no exception. He prefers, nevertheless, to run off with the marker! “Rufus, stop that and please give it back”!

Meanwhile, unlike other cats, lions live in social groups called prides which consist of as many as 15 lions. They sleep during the day and come out at night which means that they are nocturnal. They are territorial, too. This land is my land….Hear me ROAR!

It’s astounding how a short message from grandparents, other relatives or friends can brighten a child’s day…or vice versa. “If u were here, we could do this” or “If you were here, we could do that”! Sent from your own home computer or from your iPhone, your iPad, or other smartphone, postcards geared especially to children and working together with a fun and fact-filled website are educational, too. A burst of information sent to children in the real mail, and suddenly education is FUN for the entire family!

So, whether you’re a sightseeing tourist traveling the world or someone content relaxing at home, Heckery Dekkery Dot Travel Game Postcards for Children makes it easy to realize the teacher in you as you encourage someone to learn more about the world around them. Upload your own photos, and create your own personalized photo postcards. Or, send one of the ready-made postcards below. Either way, these are real travel postcards sent in the real mail! Children will love getting them…especially from you!There are lots of virtual travelers out there just waiting for you to start the travel game without any delays!

The Tiger!

Do you have a cat? Rufus would love to get to know cats better, but they won’t let him get very close!

Rufus with some inanimate lawn animals!

Please! Pardon! See me shake…I didn’t know you were wide awake! Shhh!

Before you get close to a tiger, BEWARE! Tigers are the largest of all the Asian big cats. They weigh anywhere from 200 to more than 600 pounds, and they can be anywhere from 4 – 10 feet in length. Rufus thinks he would rather admire these animals from afar, and that you should, too! That is good advice coming, as it does, from such a little dog!

Tigers are not all the same. There are many subspecies so their habitat is varied. Tigers live in tropical rain-forests, evergreen forests, mangrove swamps, grasslands, savannas, and temperate forests. They rely more on sight and sound instead of smell, and they typically hunt alone. Did you know that a tiger can eat up to 88 pounds of meat at one time? WOW! If Rufus ate that much meat at his mealtime, he would become quite big in a hurry!

It’s astounding how a short message from grandparents, other relatives or friends can brighten a child’s day…or vice versa. “If u were here, we could do this” or “If you were here, we could do that”! Sent from your own home computer or from your iPhone, your iPad, or other smartphone, postcards geared especially to children and working together with a fun and fact-filled website are educational, too. A burst of information sent to children in the real mail, and suddenly education is FUN for the entire family!

So, whether you’re a sightseeing tourist traveling the world or someone content relaxing at home, Heckery Dekkery Dot Travel Game Postcards for Children makes it easy to realize the teacher in you as you encourage someone to learn more about the world around them. Upload your own photos, and create your own personalized photo postcards. Or, send one of the ready-made postcards below. Either way, these are real travel postcards sent in the real mail! Children will love getting them…especially from you!There are lots of virtual travelers out there just waiting for you to start the travel game without any delays!

Peek a Boo! I see you!

Xiao Liwu im San Diego ZooWikimediaCommons – Johann Balleis

The Panda

What is causing the Giant Panda to become extinct?

Wang WangWikimedia Commons – Manyman

Pandas live in China and in zoos around the world. They have few natural predators, and since pandas are highly respected, they are not being hunted which makes them different from most other endangered species.

Pandas, nevertheless, are still on the endangered species list because their natural habitat is continually shrinking. The forests where pandas live are being cut for the wood and for planting crops thereby reducing the supply of bamboo which is necessary for the pandas survival.

Pandas, which are as small as a stick of butter when newborn, can weigh up to 330 pounds as adults. They eat between 26 to 84 pounds of bamboo daily! It is not an easy task, and the panda makes good use of his opposable thumbs in the process. What are opposable thumbs? Opposable thumbs allow the panda to hold onto things just as you do when you hold your pencil or pick up your tablet. Do you think that a panda couldtext with his opposable thumbs?

The building of roads and railroads also have an impact on the pandas’ habitat because they interfere with the pandas’ ability to get around and to find a mate. After all, pandas can’t drive or take the train when they go out on a date.

Rufus….Heckery Dekkery Dog Traveling Reporter at Large“I will always dig for the truth and report it back to you”!

What?

Yes, it’s true! Rufus started to bark and to dance in circles when he heard! Rufus loves to dance, by the way. Do you? Anyway, it’s a really cool fact! Hippopotami may look rather clumsy on land, after all they are enormous mammals weighing between 1,200 to over 6,000 pounds, but they are quite graceful in the water. They sink to the bottom of rivers where they walk or run for up to five minutes! Wouldn’t it be fun to be able to do that?

Jamin
Wikimedia Commons

What would you ask a hippopotamus if you had the opportunity?

Rufus made a list of things that he would ask if he could:

Do you live in Africa?

Do you weigh yourself on a bathroom scale?

Do you, by definition, enormous?

Since you can swim under water for up to five minutes,

are you semi-aquatic?

Are you the third largest living land mammal after the elephant

and the white rhino?

Great questions, Rufus! And, the answer to all but one is YES! Which question do you think was most likely answered “NO”? Can you guess?

Heckery Dekkery Dog, affectionately known as Rufus, is curious. Do you get along well with animals? Rufus knows how important it is to get along with people. After all, Rufus depends on the people around him for his care and for his education. Rufus knows that they love him, and he loves them back in his own special way. He wags his tail when someone he knows comes near for instance. And, just like you, Rufus has feelings, too! Rufus has heard that some people don’t care very much about the feelings of animals, though, and that makes him sad. Rufus feels that we should ALL care for each other because we need each other! Do you feel that way, too?

Rufus with some inanimate yard friends OMA

Rufus has been thinking about the situation for awhile, and after a few scratches behind the ear, he is determined to do what he can. “It should be easy for people and animals to live side by side”, says Rufus! But, for a number of not-so-good reasons, animals are being harmed every day. And, now, many of them are on an endangered species list and may soon become extinct. That means that they could disappear forever unless something is done to save them. Naturally, this has Rufus upset! He is happy to know, however, that some caring people are working to change this urgent situation before it is too late. After all, Rufus might not be here today had it not been for caring people. Rufus is a Havanese, and his breed was almost extinct not so long ago. Rufus would like you to know some special qualities about some of the animals on the endangered species list. Rufus thinks that the more people know, the better!

In New York City – The World Trade Center Towers were New York City’s tallest skyscrapers, but they were completely destroyed on September 11, 2001, when two airplanes flew into them. Entirely too many people lost loved ones, and entirely too many people were injured. This was a sad day for the citizens of New York City, as well as for everyone in the United States of America, and the tragedy touched people from countries all over the world.

On September 11, 2011, the 10th Anniversary of 9/11, a memorial for the victims was open for the first time to family members of the victims, and the next day, it opened to members of the general public. The memorial, Reflecting Absence, includes two huge water falls and reflecting pools where the towers once stood, and the names of the victims are engraved on bronze panels which line the pools. A museum will open at the site in the spring of 2014 and a single tower called Freedom Tower is under construction and is expected be completed at the end of 2013. It reached its final height of 1776 feet in May of 2013. Since this tragedy occurred, many people have visited daily to pay their respects.

In Washington, D. C. – On September 11, 2001, a part of the Pentagon, headquarters of the U. S. Department of Defense, was badly damaged when an airplane flew into it. On that same day, the Twin Towers were completely destroyed in New York City when two airplanes flew into them, and, an airplane crashed into a field south of Pittsburgh in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Many people lost loved ones in these three numbing tragedies, and many were injured. This was a sad day for the United States of America and for countries all over the world!

Heckery Dekkery Dot Travel Game Postcards for Children would like to pay tribute to the founder of National Grandparents Day which will be celebrated this year on Sunday, September 8th. Thank you Mrs. Marian McQuade for your love and respect for the elderly.

Born and raised in the mountains of West Virginia, Mrs McQuade eventually settled in Oak Hill, West Virginia, with her husband Joe who was a coal miner. The couple had 15 children, and at the time of Mrs. McQuade’s death in 2008, she was grandmother to 43 and great-grandmother to 15.

Marian McQuade with some of her 43 grandchildrenNational Grandparents’ Day – Media

Over the years, Mrs. McQuade served as vice-chairman of the West Virginia Commission on Aging, delegate to the White House Conference on Aging, president of the Vocational Rehabilitation Foundation, and vice president of the Nursing Home Licensing Board. Mrs McQuade’s respect for the elderly began when she was just a child going with her “Grandma” who would visit the elderly of the community after working on the farm all day long. Mrs. McQuade never forgot those visits. She would later tell her children that when an elderly person dies, it’s like a library burned down….

In 1956 she helped to organize a Past 80 Party for her community. Mrs. McQuade’s involvement with the Past 80 Party put her into contact with area nursing homes. That was when she learned about the loneliness that so many of the elderly experience. “They load these people up with gifts at Christmas,” she said, “but they leave them alone the other 364 days of the years. I wanted there to be another day to visit.”

Mrs. McQuade then had the idea to honor the nation’s grandparents wherever they reside, and 5 years of dedication brought about the first special Grandparents Day on May 27, 1973, in the State of West Virginia. She didn’t stop there, however, and in September 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed Public Law 96-62 designating the Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day, and the first National Grandparents Day was observed nationwide in 1979. The Past 80 Party which she helped to organize in 1956 has become an annual tradition to this day. Senior citizens from all over the State celebrate a second Christmas each year which includes a turkey dinner, and everyone past 80 goes home with a present.

“… to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children, and to help children become aware of strength, information, and guidance older people can offer.” from the statute’s preamble